The present invention is generally directed to a socket system for interchangeably securing LED driver circuits while providing for rapid and convenient replacement thereof for LED fixtures.
LED lamp systems generally have a number of specific operational requirements such as voltage, current, heat dissipation, light color, frequency, wavelength, color temperature, luminosity, light mixing, color rendering, and the like. The actual operational parameters are generally adjustable by varying voltage, current, duty cycle, wave form, and the like. LED lamps, if driven incorrectly may overheat leading to irreparable damage. To drive LEDs at the correct operational requirements, the operational parameters thereof are modulated generally based on feedback from the LED lamps. A driver circuit is employed for this purpose. Such driver circuit may include resistive loads, inductive coils, capacitors, switching transistors, clocks, and the like to modulate the operational parameters. During operation, LED lamps and their LED drivers experience a number of parasitic losses such as heat, vibration, radio frequency or electromagnetic interference, switching losses, and the like. Other environmental factors may influence their operation, such as ambient temperature, ambient light, humidity, air-flow, reflectivity of housing, and the like either responsive to sensed conditions or directly. Over time, the environmental factors and parasitic losses may contribute to decrease the operational performance of the LED lamps such that they may not meet the operational requirements. The LED driver, experiencing the voltage and current surges of the power supply, often needs replacement or upgrade towards new operational requirements.
Generally, to install an LED Driver, the power supply to the LED must be located, the driven LED lamps must be located as well, and then, at a point intermediate to the power supply and LED lamps, the positive and negative electric supply wires are cut and the LED driver spliced in to the power supply wires and the LED lamp wires. The conventional LED driver is mechanically secured to the LED lamp housing such as by a plurality of screws arranged around outside peripheral edges of the LED driver while a maintenance person holds the LED driver to the lamp housing and applies a driver to each screw. With increasingly complex LEDs and heightened operational requirements, the LED driver must more intelligently control the LED lamps. With such increased intelligence and command/control duties, an LED driver should have access to a number of often disparate sensor data. Some sensors may be placed proximate the LED lamps, some proximate the hood, some distally disposed to measure the environment and actual light output reaching an intended area. In some installations, the LED driver must also maintain batteries. With all of the remote sensors, comes additional complexity in connecting and disconnecting the LED driver.
When the LED driver fails, the process must be reversed and repeated. Mechanical coupling screws must be removed while ensuring that the LED driver does not fall; power supply wires, sensor wires, and lamp wires must be disconnected, any batteries should be disconnected, a new LED driver installed and re-spliced to each of the existing wires. With each successive splice and de-splice, each wire progressively wears requiring they be periodically clipped and reconditioned. Sometimes entire wires must be replaced.
In the past, LED drivers were mechanically coupled at several points around their periphery, such as by screws to retain the driver. This led to less than optimal thermal transfer from the LED driver to the dissipative LED housing. Vibrations and noise such as a hum or buzzing propagated to excessive levels due to the less than optimal mechanical coupling and dampening between LED driver and LED housing.
The pre-established screw holes in the LED housing often allowed water to seep through and damage the LED driver. Depending upon operating environment, penetrating water freezing to ice would force open any gaps in LED driver encapsulation hastening their degradation. Mechanical fatigue and delamination from the combination of environmental, chemical, and operational stresses can lead to short circuit, current overdraw, blown transistors, and even fires.
Depending upon operating environment, the normal byproduct heat may be minimized, or, in some environmental conditions, it may be necessary to capture and focus the heat, or even actively generate heat and transfer it to the environment in a certain predetermined fashion. For example, in LED installations along roadways, airports, ships, industrial/commercial freezers, refrigerators, patios, and other outdoor environments, heat from the LED lamps and LED drivers are harnessed to melt ice and maintain visibility of the LED light. Conventional screw fastener mechanisms result in substantial inefficiencies in both active and dissipative thermal transfer between LED driver and LED housing or LED lamps. Conventionally, a thermal paste or glue such as arctic silver conductive adhesive was used to thermally couple a heat generating part such as a central processing unit to a dissipating structure such as a heat sink.
In more benign environments, the LED housing is generally located in an elevated relation requiring awkward and unusual manipulations to access the LED lamps and LED driver for replacement, maintenance, or upgrade. For this reason, ladders, chairs, desks, and other ad hoc furnishings may be employed haphazardly, often resulting in injury.
Particularly in vocational and educational settings, improper LED driver installation lending to mechanical, vibrational, and acoustical emissions from the LED fixture cause acute mental distractions and pose as impediments to cognitive abilities. Reduced workload and increased health issues arise due to these occupational irritants such as flickering, noise, vibration, and errant emissions. Previous dampening solutions have proved inadequate.
There is therefore a need for a system by which LED drivers may be mechanically, electrically, and thermally coupled to LED fixtures while providing for convenient removal and replacement, amongst other features.